Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the top of the second inning at Sutter Health Park on September 23, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The A’s and Angels played their final game against each other this season on Wednesday as they wrapped up a brief two-game series at Sutter Health Park. The A’s, having defeated the Angels in comeback fashion on Tuesday, looked to complete the quick sweep against the Halos with Jeffrey Springs on the hill.
The A’s managed the two-game sweep as they defeated the Angels 7-3 on Wednesday night.
Jeffrey Springs, in what was his final start for the A’s and his 29th of the season, pitched OK, but not to the quality that Springs would have preferred. Springs went four and a third innings for the A’s while allowing three runs on five hits and surrendering two home runs and two walks. Springs breezed through his first three innings before running into home run issues in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Mark Kotsay appeared to have a short leash on Springs and pulled the left-hander after a one-out hit by pitch.
First out of the bullpen for the A’s was Geoff Hartlieb, making his 16th relief appearance for the A’s in 2026. Hartlieb wasn’t able to get out of the inning without allowing the inherited runner from Springs to score, but he did manage to escape the inning without allowing any other runs. Hartlieb went back out for the sixth inning and pitched a clean, three-up, three-down inning while finishing with one and two-thirds innings of no-run, one-hit baseball.
Luis Medina was next out of the bullpen for the A’s to pitch the seventh inning. Medina wasn’t perfect, but he tossed a scoreless frame while allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out one.
Hogan Harris came in and pitched the eighth inning and allowed no runs and one hit while striking out one Angels hitter to keep the game at 7-3.
In the ninth inning, Mark Kotsay went with Elvis Alvarado to close the game, albeit not in a save situation with a four-run lead. Alvarado dominated in the ninth inning, striking out two and getting a weak ground ball to end the game.
On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s tallied seven runs on 13 hits while walking three times.
The A’s got going early as they scored four runs in the first inning to jump out to a quick lead over the Angels.
It was Lawrence Butler who got the A’s on the board first with a hot-shot RBI single to left field that glanced off the Angels shortstop en route to the outfield. Henry Bolte scored on the play to give Butler his 61st RBI of the year.
Later in the first inning, the A’s got three more courtesy of a three-run homer from Donovan Walton that just managed to fly over the right-field wall in the corner. It was RBIs 30, 31 and 32 for Walton and his ninth long ball of the season. The home run left the bat at 89.8 mph and landed 322 feet away from home plate.
The A’s offense continued to rally in the second inning, when they expanded their lead to 5-0 over the Angels. This time, it was Henry Bolte who doubled home Alika Williams to give the A’s their run, Bolte’s 15th double of the year and his 36th RBI.
The A’s next runs came in the sixth inning when Shea Langeliers added two more runs with a two-RBI double. It was the 21st double for Langeliers and his 57th and 58th RBIs, giving the A’s a 7-3 lead at the time.
The A’s will stay home to take on the Houston Astros in their final series of 2026, a four-game set beginning Thursday at 6:40 p.m. PDT. Houston will send Peter Lambert (8-10, 3.70 ERA) to the hill, while the A’s have yet to announce a starter.
